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Raising the Minimum Wage Will Not Fix Our Economy... - 07/29/08 07:08 PM
Late last week, the minimum wage was increased by 70 cents. However, as the already sagging housing market continues to get worse and businesses are closing, unemployment rates are rising proportionally.
Now it does not take a rocket scientist to understand, that raising costs in a declining market is not a very good economic strategy. In fact is downright dumb. Moves like this are certain to adversely affect the cost of goods, services and, of course, labor not to mention the impact it will have on those families whose budgets are already strained. The 70 cent increase will be gobbled … (10 comments)
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Monday Morning Motivator... - 07/28/08 05:18 AM
Monday Morning Motivator
Good Morning Active|Rain...
"Life is about living your Dreams... Not living in them."
— Unknown
Feeling a little down and blue... To improve your mood in 30 seconds click here...
This motivational moment has been brought to you as a courtesy of
Complete Home Inspections, Inc. | Brentwood, TN 37027
Have you joined my birthday alarm? It is fast painless and the best part of all, you will be helping me out.
Because I need your help, subscribe to my blog. … (16 comments)
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What Is Right with The house? - 07/27/08 05:15 AM
As home inspectors, we are hired to find out what is wrong with the property that we are inspecting, and are quick to start the litany of what is wrong and do not take a moment to say what is good with the property. Think about it. If you were purchasing the property what would you want to hear, the good along with the bad or just the bad? After talking to many real estate professionals, the number one reason that agents go elsewhere for home inspector and drop you is either you “kill too many deals” with strong negative verbiage, … (16 comments)
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Should Family be Treated Any Different than Any Other Customer? - 07/21/08 07:15 PM
Today, while inspecting a new property for a former client, I recognized a real estate agent that I had not seen for some time. After a few minutes of small talk and chit chat, I asked how here business was doing and was she busy. She said that she was very busy and had been selling a lot of property.
I congratulated her on her efforts; however, curiosity got the better of me and I had to ask whom she was using to inspect her properties as I used to get almost all her inspections. She told me and was … (25 comments)
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Monday Morning Motivator... - 07/21/08 04:40 AM
Monday Morning Motivator
Good Morning Active|Rain...
Every morning you are handed 24 golden hours. They are one of the few things in this world that you get free of charge. If you had all the money in the world, you couldn't buy an extra hour. What will you do with this priceless treasure? "
— Unknown
Feeling a little down and blue... To improve your mood in 30 seconds click here...
This motivational moment has been brought to you as a courtesy of
Complete Home Inspections, Inc. | Brentwood, TN 37027
… (18 comments)
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Its a Slow Morning... - 07/20/08 07:00 AM
As I sit in the motel room here in Oak Ridge, TN, waiting for the grand kids festivities in their church play to begin, I cannot help but notice how slowly the blog roll is oozing by by this morning. Generally by 8:00 EST things are really hopping here in the rain... Could it be the wifi that I am using? Did everyone go out and consume too many adult beverages and are sleeping it off? Did the world come to an end and no one told me about it? H-m-m-m. Where did all the active rainers go?
… (12 comments)
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What You Don't See Can Be Costly... - 07/19/08 06:05 AM
When real estate agents and their buyers look at a property, more often than not, they are looking at the aesthetics of the property not the functionality. Initially when the untrained eye looks at this photo, one sees a sees a cool looking stairwell, loft and a nice clean open space.
Have you joined my birthday alarm? It is fast painless and the best part of all, you will be helping me out.
Because I need your help, subscribe to my blog.
Michael
Copyright © 2008 by Michael … (12 comments)
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Down the Ladder He Came with a Bound… - 07/18/08 04:29 PM
Unlike the as in the famous poem, The Night Before Christmas, sometimes the prancing and pawing that you hear above your head is not the little, fat, jolly, present leaving elf and his 8 tiny reindeer that we love to have visit us every year. More often than not, it is the overweight, grumpy home inspector trying to squeeze through an attic scuttle hole two sizes too small…
I can’t say that we always bring presents, good tidings and cheer, but we are fun to get a good laugh out of occasionally…
… (9 comments)
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Photo of the Day... - 07/18/08 07:15 AM
I love the older, more experienced properties. Like many of our more ‘experienced’ citizens, there are certainly stories to tell, and a journal of what has historically happened in its life.
Yesterday while inspecting a property not too far from the world famous Opryland Hotel, I ran across this unusual repair by our ol’ buddy Bubba the unhandy handyman. One again, a classic example of how not to support a load-bearing girder.
The blocks were setting on the ground with no concrete foundation (18x18 for Davidson County), the bricks were kinda-sorta professionally mortared together, but the ‘coup de gras’ were … (18 comments)
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Home Inspecting Is Not Rocket Science... - 07/17/08 09:09 AM
Home inspecting is not rocket science… Most of it is just plain, common, simple horse sense. Generally, if an item does not look right or isn’t functioning correctly something is wrong which needs to be looked into a little further. The two major problematic areas are generally plumbing and electrical. Unhandy home owners and tradesmen either are not competent in various trade disciplines or just like to take shortcuts or the easy way out while doing home repairs or remodeling.
Another way to achieve this is venting is through the use of Air Admittance Valves. These are mechanical devices designed … (10 comments)
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Photo of the Day... - 07/14/08 04:42 PM
As most of you know by now, flexible plastic venting for clothes dryer venting has been banned for use in residential properties for many years because it is considered a fire hazard. But I guess that our 'ol buddy Bubba just hasn't read the latest and greatest on this regulation. Maybe they will come out with a coloring code book one of these days...
I have to admit that the duct tape was the coup de gras...
What do you think?
Have you joined my birthday alarm? It is fast painless and the best part of all, you will be … (19 comments)
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Monday Morning Motivator... - 07/14/08 05:19 AM
Monday Morning Motivator
Good Morning Active|Rain...
The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don't define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them. "
— Denis Watley
Feeling a little down and blue... To improve your mood in 30 seconds click here...
This motivational moment has been brought to you as a courtesy of
Complete Home Inspections, Inc. | Brentwood, TN 37027
… (11 comments)
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Are HOA’ Getting Too Big For Their Britches? - 07/12/08 06:49 PM
A few weeks ago, someone wrote an article about HOA’s getting too powerful and I wish that I could remember who wrote that piece but I do remember commenting on it. Well, it seems as if the HOA for my subdivision has up and done it again…
It seems as if some of the ‘hoity toity, Brentwood for Lunch Bunch’ has been ‘offended’ by some of us ‘commoners’ putting our roll out trash bins at the curb for curbside pick up. The edict was in my post box on Wednesday afternoon and my trash pick-up day is on Thursday. As Brentwood … (15 comments)
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Photo of the Day... - 07/12/08 07:40 AM
While inspecting a property in the upscale ‘Green Hills’ section of Nashville, I find that there isn’t any section of town where our ‘ol friend Bubba, the unhandy handyman, has not had some type of misadventure. Yeah Buddy…
We can certainly see why ‘ol Bubba buys duct tape by the six pack… Yeah Buddy! Need I say anythin’ else???
Complete Home Inspections, Inc. | Brentwood, TN 37027
PS... Please forgive my marathon blogging but I am an a|r addict and cannot help myself...
Have you joined my birthday alarm? It … (14 comments)
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Bitterness... - 07/11/08 06:09 AM
It is not unusual for clients in this area to "price shop" home inspections or other services as part of the property transaction process. I used to waste a lot of time trying to "convince" them that ours was the best company to use... Why not? We feel that we do give our clients the best service for their money... I just give them the price and urge them to make their decision on quality and not price.
I understand that some people are tight on cash and want to get the "best for the buck" and often go with … (11 comments)
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Gas Reformulators - Godsend or Rip-Off? - 07/10/08 06:39 PM
With the high price of gasoline being on every American’s mind, and how it is affecting the price of everything from vacations to toilet paper, there seems to be a plethora of items on the internet all touting better fuel mileage. These range from HHO technology products to gasoline additives. Do they work or are they just another scam to prey on unsuspecting victims?
I have been driving a hybrid car for the past 3 years and I have learned how to drive all over again to squeeze every drop of fuel out of the cars’ technology. Not because I am … (4 comments)
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Photo of the Day... - 07/08/08 06:46 AM
While inspecting yet another rehab in east Nashville, TN, I could not help but notice our 'ol buddy Bubba's latest misadventure at playing electrician. Yeah Buddy...
I guess that 'ol Bubba just flat ran out of conduit (or did not know how to glue it together) for this run to the exterior light at the end of the porch. As we all know, complicated things kinda sorta overwhelm 'ol Bubba... Well shux, 'stension' cords will work won't they? NOT...
Complete Home Inspections, Inc. | Brentwood, TN 37027
Have … (14 comments)
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Are Your Plumbing Lines Prime for a Heart Attack? - 07/07/08 07:38 PM
It is not unusual to see cast iron waste pipes in properties built before 1973. From that date onward, the more modern products such as PVC or ABS started taking over iron piping as the 'product of choice' by many builders and plumbers. Iron products have a short life expectancy of approximately 35 - 50 years depending upon water sources (hard or soft water) and what has been put down the pipes.
Just like your arteries, iron products, whether they be waste or potable water supplies, get sclerosis just like your arteries. Like in this picture below, this pipe was … (10 comments)
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These Firefox Add-ons Are a Must... - 07/06/08 05:43 AM
As I type today’s post on my formally Microsoft stained fingertips, and watch the Marathon Bloggers roll down the blogroll blogging for points, I must say that I really enjoy my new iMac. Yes, I know that I have put a lot of shameless links back to some of my own blogs, but this is my blog and what the hay…
Anyway, the point that I was going to make was to put in a plug for one of the more innovative web Browsers out there… Google’s Firefox. This open architecture Browser really leaves IE in the dust... (sorry Bill)... There … (11 comments)
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Photo of the Day... - 07/05/08 02:29 PM
I have inspected several thousand properties over my 8 year career, and just about the time you think that you have ‘seen it all’, it seems as if our ‘ol buddy Bubba comes up with a new twist on things. Yeah Buddy…
While inspecting a property in the Antioch section of Nashville, TN, I came across this unusual installation for a pet door. Now normally, most people go about it differently... But we all know that Bubba travels to the tune of a different 6 pack... Don’t try this at home folks, it can get real ugly…
Have you joined … (14 comments)
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Eminent Domain or Immanent Disaster for Property Owners? - 07/03/08 07:41 PM
By now, just about everyone knows that under a process called eminent domain, the government can (and does) seize private property for public use - to build roads, or infrastructure deemed ‘for the good of the public’. Is eminent domain being abused when the government can also seize your land for private use if they can prove that doing it will serve what's called "the public good"? Furthermore, is seizure of private property always in the public’s best interest or the best interest of “Big City Government” and generating more tax revenue?
It's been three years since the disastrous landmark Kelo … (2 comments)
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Asta la Vista - Baby… - 07/03/08 05:46 AM
Today I am typing my first post here in active|rain on my formally Microsoft stained fingers. Hallelujah!! Today I have gone ‘cold turkey’ and kicked the habit… the Microsoft habit that is.
Having been a PC person since, 1983, I have been through the whole gambit of operating systems that MS had to offer starting with the very early days of DOS… Some systems were better than others with XP probably being one of their best accomplishments in my view.
Yes, there were some challenges. One of my biggest peeves was with the idiot who came up the pop-up … (17 comments)
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Photo of the Day... Bubba's Misadventures - 07/02/08 03:53 PM
As a licensed home inspector for the State of Tennessee and an ASHI certified home inspector, I am continually in and out of properties almost daily; some new - some old. Generally, it is the older properties that I find really fascinating.
Today while inspecting another rehab in the East section of Nashville, TN, I could not wonder what our good 'ol buddy Bubba had on his mind while looking at his latest misadventure...
Now the tip of the bulb is supposed to be in for the pilot so that the heat from the flame will cause the liquid to expand … (8 comments)
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Michael Thornton - Nashville, TN area Home Inspector - 615.661.0297
Brentwood,
TN
More about me…
Complete Home Inspections, Inc.
Address: 217 Jamestown Park Road, Suite 12, Brentwood, TN, 37027
Office Phone: (615) 661-0297
Cell Phone: (615) 473-8803
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